Foot for contact-shoes



W. K. HOWE.

FOOT FOR CONTACT SHOES. APPLICATION FILED, JULY 13. 1916. 1 ,364-,879, Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

Q Q E Q z. ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WINTER-OP K. HOVQTE, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL RAILWAY SIGNAL COMPANY, OF GATES, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FOOT FOR CONTACT-SHOES.

Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

Application filed July 13, 1916. Serial No. 109,024.

To all to hom it may concern Be it known that I, VVINTHROP K. Hown, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented new and useful Feet for Contact- Shoes, of which the following is a specification. 7

This invention relates to contact shoes which are used in automatic train control systems and which are designed to make electrical contact with contact rails or ramps, and this invention more particularly relates to the foot or contacting part of such contact shoes as an article of manufacture.

In certain types of automatic train control systems contact shoes are carried on the trains or vehicle and are arranged to make electrical contact with ramps or contact rails located at intervals along the track; and since the proper operation of the train control system depends upon the obtaining of a proper electrical impulse by the contacting of the shoe with the ramps, it is necessary to make thiselectrical contact as perfect as possible at all times and under all conditions. Among other things which enable a thoroughly, reliable electrical contact to be obtained, I have found that it is desirable to have the contact shoe bear with considerable pressure orforce against theramps, and also to arrange and construct theshoe so that the foot or contacting part thereof may turn with a scraping action as the shoe passes over the ramps. This heavy pressure and scraping action naturally results in considerable wear of the foot of the shoe and for practical reasons it is highly desirable that the construction-should be such'that this foot may be replaced at a minimum cost and with the least difiiculty.

With these considerations in mind, one of the principal objects of this invention is to devise a novel and simple foot for contact shoes used in train control systems so that this foot may be easily and cheaply manufactured and can be readily replaced by a new foot when worn or otherwise unfit for use.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description of the invention progresses, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, refseveral views, andin which:

erence is had to the accompanying drawing,

wherein I have illustrated a preferred physical embodiment of my invention, and wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the Figure 1 is a top plan view of a foot for contact shoes used in automatic. train control systems which embodies the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical diametrical section through the foot shown in Fig. 1; F 3 is a side view of a foot of modified construction;

and Fig. 4 is a side view of a foot showing foot comprises a disk 5, the edge of which is slightly beveled as indicated by the numeral 6, and which has a central bearing stud 7 integral therewith, said bearing stud being slightly tapered and being disposed with its axis perpendicular to the plane of the disk 5. A circumferential groove 8, substantially semi-circular in cross section, is made around the bearing stud 7 near its upper end, and when the foot is assembled with the other parts of the contactshoe, it is held in place by pins (not shown) which pass partly through the groove 8, as clearlyshown and fully described in my prior patent above mentioned. Extending down through the disk 5 are a number of holes or on channels 9, four of which are shown, and which are preferably located adjacent to the bearing stud 7, so that when said bearing stud is journaled on the part of the shoe supporting it and is supplied with oil in any suitablemanner, as for instance as shown and described in my patent above mentioned, some of this oil may find its way through the holes 9 to the underside of the disk 5 where it may collect and form a film which will spread over the contact surfaces of the ramps as the shoe successively engages them, thereby greatly improving the electrical contact between the foot of the shoe and the ramp, as explained at length in my above mentioned patent.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, in the form of foot for a contact shoe therein illustrated, a circular recess 10 is formed in the under face of the disk 5 and in this recess is fastened a pad 11 of felt or similar absorbent material, the outer or under face of which is substantially flush with the under face of the disk 5. In the particular construction shown, the pad 11 is fastened to the disk 5 by screws 12 which are provided with washers 13 and which have their heads countersunk in recesses in the outer face of the pad 11, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. It should be understood, however, that the means for securing the pad 11 in the recess 10 may take various forms, and I have found that it is entirely practicable to merely glue the pad 11 in place.

While the foot for a contact shoe embodying this invention preferably takes the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, certain of the desirable features of construction may be omitted without wholly sacrificing the advantages of the other features. For example, the recess 10 and the pad 11 may be omit ted, and such a construction is shown in Fig. 3. Also, if found expedient, the holes 9 for supplying oil from bearing stud '7 to the under face of the foot may be omitted, and such a construction is shown in Fig. l.

From the foregoing it can be seen that l have provided a simple foot for contact shoes which may be easily and cheaply manufactured and which may be readily and quickly attached and detached. Furthermore, it should be noted that suitable provision is made in connection with the ordinary lubrication of the shoe for distribut ing oil over the contact surfaces of the ramps, so as to improve the electrical contact; and in this connection it should be understood that while the absorbent pad 11 serves to collect oil and to give a more uni-- form and better distribution of the oil over the contact surfaces of the ramp, this felt pad is not necessarily essential and the shoe may take the form of the construction shown in "Fig. 3.

Although I have particularly described the construction of one physical embodiment of my invention, and explained the operation and principle thereof, nevertheless, I desire to have it understood that the form selected is merely illustrative, but does not exhaust the possible physical embodiments of the idea of means underlying my invention.

Vfhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. As an. article of manufacture, a foot for contact shoes of automatic train control systems comprising a disk, and a bearing stud integral with said disk and projecting from the center of one face of said disk, said bearing stud having its axis perpendicular to the plane of said disk and having a circumferential groove therein, said disk having oil holes extending downward from its upper face adjacent to said bearing stud.

2. As an article of manufacture, a foot for contact shoes of automatic train control systems comprising a disk having a shallow recess in. its under face, a pad of absorbent material secured in said recess with its outer face substantially flushwith the under face of said disk, and a bearing stud integral with said disk and projecting from the center of the upper face thereof, the axis of said bearing stud being perpendicular to the plane of said disk. I

3. As an article of manufacture, a foot for contact shoes of automatic train control systems comprising a disk having a shallow recess in its under face, a pad of absorbent material secured in said recess with its outer face substantially flush with the under face of said disk, and a bearing stud integral with said disk and projecting from the center of the upper face thereof, the axis of said bearing stud being perpendicular to the plane of said disk, said disk having oil holes extending downward from its upper face to said recess and located adjacent to said bearing stud.

4. As an article of manufacture, a foot for contact shoes of automatic train control systems having a shallow recess in its contacting face, and provided with a pad of absorbent material fastened in said recess and having its outer face substantially flush with said contact face, whereby the pad spreads a film of oil over the surface of the ramps with which the shoe cooperates.

5. As an article of manufacture,a foot for contact shoes of automatic train control systems having a supporting bearing stud upon which the shoe is supported for rotation, said foot being provided with oil passages extending from a point adjacent to said stud to the contacting face of the foot, whereby some of the lubricant supplied to the bearing stud may pass to the contacting face of the foot and be spread over the surface of the ramps with which the shoe cooperates.

WINTHBOP K. HOWE. 

